- The Watchmaker’s Doctor:
- An Erase and Rewind Novella
- G.M.T. Schuilling
- Paperback: 114 pages
- Publisher: AuthorHouseUK (April 6, 2018)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1546291105
- ISBN-13: 978-1546291107
- Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
Synopsis
Anaya, a disillusioned, thirty-five-year-old doctor, has been looking after Gregory, a retired watchmaker and resident of an aged care facility. On her last visit, he gifts her his final creation, an exquisitely-crafted watch, knowing she will die tragically that very day. It will turn back time.
But what if, after one small change, her life would become much worse than it was? Or unthinkable disasters result from a single step off her path? When the alternative is die now, her choice makes itself. And so, Anaya’s story begins with her last thought. Would I have done this if I had any option but the grave?
Would you?
My Thoughts
The idea of time travel has always been intriguing to me. I mean, I spent countless hours watching Quantum Leap and was upset when it only lasted five seasons. But what if instead of correcting historical mistakes, we could correct our own?
This story begins with Anaya Jones in the present day. She is a busy doctor. She's on her way to the retirement home to see her patients. Gregory is a resident there and a retired watchmaker.
As Anaya approaches Gregory, his watch mesmerizes her. She is late and explains to him, “I’m sorry, Greg. Time got away from me, again.” She has a brief conversation with Greg. He tells her that she needs to stop squandering her life and she realizes he is correct, with bipolar II, she frequently lacks energy and often struggles to get out the door on time. To assist her in keeping track of time, he offers her his watch. She accepts and is amazed when the watch coils magnetically around her wrist.
She hurriedly leaves Greg and is involved in an accident. She realizes her injuries are severe as Greg is there and appears incandescent. He tells her there is little time left and explains to her that he's created this watch and it allowed him to time travel. The watch is hers now. But, she only has a few minutes before her death to choose a time to travel back to.
If you had a second chance, where would you travel back to?
Anaya chooses to travel back eighteen years to be a teenager again. Seventeen to be exact.
What Schuilling, relates so well in this read is a concern for details, combined with the mixture of unpredictability we often feel as teenagers. I felt myself give a deep sigh as many of the descriptions were familiar. We see summer holidays, notes from family, exams, and trying to cram everything into a small timeframe and imagining what someone else would do if they had that same schedule.
We watch as Anaya relives her life differently and we view how this affects those characters around her to varying degrees. More importantly, we see that time is not as easily modified as people think.
I received this compelling book of suspenseful events for review from Melissa Robles Review Coordinator with Kate Tilton's Author Services, LLC. The Watchmaker's Doctor is the first novella in Erase and Rewind, a collection for new adults that delves into the biggest regrets of the dying, and follows their stories of what might have been.
The Book trailer: is available at https://youtu.be/9RpA7RKAaGk
I love that 10% of G. M. T. Schuilling's proceeds from The Watchmaker's Doctor will go to the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation. The Foundation is committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding scientific research grants to improve treatment. Their vision is to ultimately develop cures and methods of prevention to enable people with mental health issues to live full, happy, and productive lives. To learn more about them, please visit: https://www.bbrfoundation.org